Page 39 of Hell Storm

A headful of stylishly-cropped, brunette hair lowered until her eyes were trained on the floor. I was right. Somethingwastroubling her.

That’s when it hit me.

“Do you know something, Elle? Something you’re not telling me?”

She rang her hands tightly and I tensed.

“I do,” she admitted, “but I only kept it from you because you had your father to deal with, and I was asked to pay the guards off, so—”

“Out with it, Elle,” I urged.

She had a tendency to stall when she was nervous to share something.

“It’s possible that … I know a bit more than you do about Mistress Corina’s escape.”

I knew it.

“What can you tell me? Where is she?” I rambled, stepping closer.

“I’m not sure where she went, but I know what she’s taken with her.”

It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

“Weapons? Money?” I guessed.

“No,” Elle cut in. “She took food. An entire bag full of it. I scanned her duffle using the camera mounted outside the greenhouse.”

Clever girl.

Still, did Corina not think a firearm or flashlight would be useful? The only thing she thought to steal—other than my bike, helmet and jacket—was food?

“There’s … more,” Elle interjected. My gaze settled on her again. “When I located her and linked in to the helmet’s communication system, I quickly realized it was impossible to talk her out of her plan. So, after a few wasted minutes pleading she’d turn back, I … helped her.”

The admission left Silas speechless. But I, on the other hand, felt my hands tighten into fists.

“You did what?” I roared.

There was no use trying to quiet myself.

“Before you get angry,” she rushed to plead, “I had a good reason.”

Silas crossed both arms over his chest. “And what reason could that possibly be?” He’d taken the words right out of my mouth.

Elle sighed deeply—another human attribute she picked up despite not actually being capable of breathing.

“I did it because she would have done this with or without me.”

There was no doubt in my mind to the truth in that statement. Corina was as stubborn as a mule.

“And we all know she wouldn’t have made it out safely without someone who knows the property guiding her, so that’s what I did,” Elle admitted. “I did it because, without me, the guards would have captured and killed her before you even knew she was missing.”

I stood in silence, amazed by her quick deduction of outcomes, but also keenly aware of her perspective. It seemed as though, despite having dwelled in a predominately Ianite world, Elle’s sentiments lied with the human populace at times.

Like tonight, when she opted to aid Corina’s escape without even considering her other options. For instance, it would have taken her a split second to wake me, giving me the opportunity to call off the guards and stop Corina peacefully, withoutanyonebeing harmed.

However, Elle’s rationale was to inadvertently side with Corina.

“You’re not programmed to make decisions that aren’t in the best interest of the palace.”

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